The present invention relates to an apparatus for electroplating a metal wire of a relatively low electric conductivity, especially to an apparatus for electroplating a stainless steel wire with gold.
Many wire leads for electronic devices are conventionally made of Phosphor Bronze or Beryllium Bronze which are excellent in the electric conducting property. Recently, the need has arisen to use such wire leads for communicating a minimum electric current, which requires such wire leads to provide mechanical resilience as well as electric conductivity. Thus, wire leads of Phosphor Bronze or Beryllium Bronze must be formed relatively thick.
Stainless steel, as is well known, is excellent in mechanical resilience. Therefore, it is advantageous for wire leads for the above mentioned use to be made of relatively fine or ultrafine stainless steel electroplated with gold, which wire leads may be formed so that they are small in size.
Stainless steel, however, has greater electric resistance compared to copper so that it is very difficult to electroplate stainless steel with gold continuously over a long term at a uniform density.